System for monitoring a to-be-monitored unit of a rack/chassis management controller (RMC/CMC) according to heartbeat signals for determining operating modes

Abstract

A system includes a bus, multiple BMCs, and a control unit. Each BMC generates heartbeat signals and acquire operation data associated with a to-be-monitored unit once being initiated, and operates in one of a master mode and a slave mode according to a corresponding decision signal. One of the BMCs which operates in the master mode is configured to receive via the bus the operation data from the rest of the BMCs which operate(s) in the slave mode for monitoring the to-be-monitored unit. The control unit is configured to, according to the heartbeat signals, generate the corresponding decision signals for controlling a first normally operating one of the BMCs to operate in the master mode and the rest of the BMCs to operate in the slave mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for monitoring a to-be-monitored unit of a rack, comprising:
 a bus; 
 a plurality of baseboard management controllers (BMCs) to be electrically connected the to-be-monitored unit, each of said BMCs being configured to generate a heartbeat signal and to acquire operation data associated with the to-be-monitored unit once completely initiated, and to operate in one of a master mode and a slave mode according to a corresponding decision signal, one of said BMCs which operates in the master mode being configured to receive via said bus the operation data from the rest of said BMCs which operate(s) in the slave mode; and 
 a control unit electrically connected to said BMCs for receiving the heartbeat signals generated thereby, and configured to, according to the heartbeat signals, generate the corresponding decision signals for said BMCs and transmit the corresponding decision signals respectively to said BMCs, for controlling a first normally operating one of said BMCs to operate in the master mode and the rest of said BMCs to operate in the slave mode; 
 wherein each of said BMCs is configured to generate the heartbeat signal which has a logic value reciprocating between a first logic value and a second logic value once said BMC is completely initiated and operates normally, and said control unit is configured to, for the first normally operating one of said BMCs, change a logic value of the corresponding decision signal from a third logic value to a fourth logic value such that the first normally operating one of said BMCs operates in the master mode, 
 wherein the first normally operating one of said BMCs which operates in the master mode is configured to perform at least one of control or monitoring of the to-be-monitored unit in place of a rack/chassis management controller (RMC/CMC), and 
 wherein said control unit is configured to, for one of the rest of said BMCs, the logic value of the heartbeat signal generated by which reciprocates between the first and second logic values, change the logic value of the corresponding decision signal from the third logic value to the fourth logic value when the first normally operating one of said BMCs which operates in the master mode becomes abnormal. 
 
     
     
       2. The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to determine that the first normally operating one of said BMCs which operates in the master mode becomes abnormal when the logic value of the heartbeat signal generated by the first normally operating one of said BMCs does not reciprocate between the first logic value and the second logic value. 
     
     
       3. The system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said control unit is configured to, from among the rest of said BMCs, determine said one of the rest of said BMCs according to a predetermined order. 
     
     
       4. The system as claimed in  claim 3 , the rack including a plurality of baseboards, wherein said BMCs are to be respectively disposed on the baseboards, the predetermined order being related to positions of the baseboards on which said BMCs are disposed. 
     
     
       5. The system as claimed in  claim 2 , the to-be-monitored unit including a plurality of hardware elements, wherein said BMCs are to be electrically connected to the to-be-monitored unit, the operation data being related to operation status of the hardware elements. 
     
     
       6. The system as claimed in  claim 5 , the hardware elements of the to-be-monitored unit being multiple ones of a plurality of nodes, a plurality of fan units, a plurality of temperature sensors, a plurality of power supply units, and a plurality of hardware discs. 
     
     
       7. The system as claimed in  claim 6 , the hardware elements of the to-be-monitored unit being a plurality of nodes, wherein the operation data includes at least one of temperature, power consumption, SN information, ID, power status, power on status, health status, configuration, or on-off control of the nodes. 
     
     
       8. The system as claimed in  claim 6 , the hardware elements being a plurality of power supply units, wherein the operation data includes at least one of input power, output power, input voltage, output voltage, input current, output current, on/off control, status, or working temperature of the power supply units. 
     
     
       9. The system as claimed in  claim 2 , the to-be-monitored unit including a plurality of fan units, wherein each of said BMCs is to be electrically connected to a corresponding one of the fan units, and is configured to, when operating normally, detect the corresponding one of the fan units to acquire operation information associated with the corresponding one of the fan units to serve as the operation data. 
     
     
       10. The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bus supports one of intelligent platform management interface (IPMI), serial I/O, and local area network (LAN), and said bus is an intelligent platform management bus (IPMB) when said bus supports IPMI. 
     
     
       11. The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said one of said BMCs which operates in the master mode is configured to perform at least one of control or monitoring of the to-be-monitored unit according to the operation data acquired thereby and the operation data received thereby from the rest of said BMCs which operate(s) in the slave mode. 
     
     
       12. The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said BMCs are configured to transmit the operation data to said control unit, said control unit includes a memory for storing the operation data received from said BMCs. 
     
     
       13. A system for monitoring a to-be-monitored unit of a rack, comprising:
 a bus; 
 a plurality of baseboard management controllers (BMCs) to be electrically connected the to-be-monitored unit, each of said BMCs being configured to generate a heartbeat signal and to acquire operation data associated with the to-be-monitored unit once completely initiated, and to operate in one of a master mode and a slave mode according to a corresponding decision signal, one of said BMCs which operates in the master mode being configured to receive via said bus the operation data from the rest of said BMCs which operate(s) in the slave mode; and 
 a control unit electrically connected to said BMCs for receiving the heartbeat signals generated thereby, and configured to, according to the heartbeat signals, generate the corresponding decision signals for said BMCs and transmit the corresponding decision signals respectively to said BMCs, for controlling a first normally operating one of said BMCs to operate in the master mode and the rest of said BMCs to operate in the slave mode; 
 wherein each of said BMCs is configured to generate the heartbeat signal which has a logic value reciprocating between a first logic value and a second logic value once said BMC is completely initiated and operates normally, and said control unit is configured to, for the first normally operating one of said BMCs, change a logic value of the corresponding decision signal from a third logic value to a fourth logic value such that the first normally operating one of said BMCs operates in the master mode, and 
 wherein each of said BMCs is configured to generate the heartbeat signal which is at one of the first logic value and the second logic value once being completely initiated and operating abnormally. 
 
     
     
       14. The system as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein one of the first logic value and the second logic value is logic 1 and the other of the first logic value and the second logic value is logic 0. 
     
     
       15. The system as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein one of the third logic value and the fourth logic value is logic 1 and the other of the third logic value and the fourth logic value is logic 0. 
     
     
       16. The system as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein each of said BMCs is configured to generate the heartbeat signal that reciprocates between the first logic value and the second logic value at a frequency of 0.5 Hz once completely initiated and operating normally. 
     
     
       17. The system as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein each of said BMCs is configured to generate the heartbeat signal that reciprocates between the first logic value and the second logic value at a frequency of 1 Hz once completely initiated and operating normally. 
     
     
       18. The system as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the first normally operating one of said BMCs which operates in the master mode is configured to perform at least one of control or monitoring of the to-be-monitored unit in place of a rack/chassis management controller (RMC/CMC). 
     
     
       19. The system as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said control unit is configured to, for one of the rest of said BMCs, the logic value of the heartbeat signal generated by which reciprocates between the first and second logic values, change the logic value of the corresponding decision signal from the third logic value to the fourth logic value when the first normally operating one of said BMCs which operates in the master mode becomes abnormal. 
     
     
       20. The system as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein said control unit is configured to determine that the first normally operating one of said BMCs which operates in the master mode becomes abnormal when the logic value of the heartbeat signal generated by the first normally operating one of said BMCs does not reciprocate between the first logic value and the second logic value; and
 wherein said control unit is configured to, from among the rest of said BMCs, determine said one of the rest of said BMCs according to a predetermined order.